


Blood of the Monarchy

by MindTrash



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Edwardian, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Blood, Blood Drinking, Dark Fantasy, F/M, Fantasy, Gothic, Half-Vampires, Human/Vampire Relationship, Implied/Referenced Incest, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:00:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29748108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindTrash/pseuds/MindTrash
Summary: Sakura has been summoned to be taken away to the castle on the mountain, a fate that took young women from her village every turn of the seasons. Despite her fear she challenges the tyrannical prince she works for, prompting a reveal of a terrifying family secret that binds her to her master. Will he always be this awful, or is there something better deep inside his black heart?... And why is he so intrigued by her family lineage?
Relationships: Gaara/Haruno Sakura
Comments: 23
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I haven't updated my other first in a while, but my inspiration kind of comes and goes. So here is another work for you, of which i do actually have a few chapters written up. 
> 
> Enjoy this dark gothic fic ;)

This was her destiny. 

Or at least that was what the villagers told her. Countless young women had gone ahead before her, but every season another girl was summoned up to the castle on the mountain; the reasons were multiple, but she knew they must be nefarious. No one argued, no one challenged the order, they simply obeyed the call. Today they called on Sakura Haruno, and in a rush her parents helped her pack some of her personal belongings. 

It was an honor, they had said, to allow the king to take their daughter into his palace. However, this still didn't halt their tears as the royal carriage carried her away down the forested road. With so many trees whipping past the window she felt dizzy, and lost. No wonder none of the girls came back home, this vast forest of towering pines was a perilous maze. 

'Even if they had tried leaving, I bet they died on the way back down.' Sakura thought to herself, looking at her pale hands folded over her lap. She didn't fail to notice the royal courier studying her from the corner of her eye. The middle aged man was stern and orderly; clearly appraising her by her appearance alone. He wore nice grey clothing, the attire almost making him look like a distinguished pallbearer. 

"That was the best dress they could find for you?" His sharp tone broke the awkward silence between them, forcing her to study her dress while stiffening her entire form. 

Jade eyes roamed over her mother's light blue wedding dress, it wasn't fancy by any means but it was still beautiful in Sakura's eyes. It was the cleanest, most well-kept dress they owned. Pale fingers rubbed the cotton fabric, smoothing over the slight gathers in it. 

"It's the best we had on hand, I apologize if it is not in the king's tastes." The pinkette spoke softly, keeping her eyes to the ground. Unfortunately her shoes were merely brown boots, as she did not share her mother's shoe size. 

"I'm sure we can find something more suitable for you. That dress does nothing to highlight your features." The man reached forward to tug at one of the long sleeves, startling her enough to look up at his discerning eyes. "Too much coverage." 

Sakura blushed at the thought of wearing a more revealing dress, but then realized that she was probably not going to the palace to become a maid. In fact, she was rather certain that the king must have had a royal harem, seeing as how it was always young and beautiful girls that were taken away to the palace. 

"Forgive me, sir--" 

"You can refer to me as Lord Baki." He grumbled, clearly miffed that she didn't already know that. "'Milord' is fine, and you will refer to the king as 'your majesty', and the princes as 'your royal highness'. I'm certain you already know their names, but in case you are a simpleton I shall remind you. His royal majesty King Rasa of Sunagakure, Princess Temari, Prince Kankuro, and the youngest Prince Gaara. Princess Temari has already been married off to the Duke of Nara, and is now called the Duchess of Nara--" 

"What happened to the queen?" The pinkette interjected, getting a glare for her lack of manners. 

"You will need to learn to hold your tongue, and only speak when spoken to." He snipped, making her go quiet before finally sighing in defeat. "Queen Karura died about fifteen years ago, prince Gaara was devastated by her passing as he was merely eight when it happened. It nearly drove the poor boy to madness, but he has thankfully recovered from it." 

It was then when their eyes met, and his older dark orbs held hers with a deathly stare. 

"You would do well to remember not to bring her up in conversation with prince Gaara, less you upset him greatly. Of any in the royal household, his hand is the most cruel when doling out punishments." His stern expression quickly changed to what seemed like mirth. "You will be serving the princes personally, so you had better memorize what I tell you here and now." 

Sakura nodded fearfully, and gulped back any voice she had in favor of hearing him out for the remainder of the ride. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

Hours had passed, and she had learned everything he could cram into that short amount of time. Apparently she was to get acquainted immediately with her surroundings upon her arrival, and with how massive the gothic castle was she felt herself nearly shaking with nerves. 

Her job description? Basically someone to bark orders at. If they needed tea, she would get them tea. If they desired to send a message then she would deliver it personally. If they wanted their clothes cleaned she would either do it herself or fetch someone else to launder them. An all around personal assistant. Thankfully she was smart, and a fast learner, but she knew that it would still take time for her to get everything down to a tee. 

Sakura wandered through the massive halls with her drawn out map of the palace, her eyes following the arched ceilings and buttresses before looking at all the finer details of the stone walls. Many portraits and tapestries adorned the walls, but the people within the artworks seemed pale and off-putting. The strange electric lights were also foreign to her, but she remembered stories her parents told of going offshore, and seeing them in person. The uncandescent lightbulbs were covered by tiffany lampshades, giving everything strange colored glow. 

This place reminded her of a cathedral with all of it's stained glass windows, and quiet rooms. The midday light just barely glittering past filling the halls with jewel toned colors, but there were no people bustling through like there should have been. She looked down at what would normally have been crimson carpet beneath her feet, now a jewel toned dream. 

A dream, that's what this place felt like; it was far too quiet. Far too strange 

Baki had left her with the map, marking out where she needed to go as he was immediately called elsewhere, and the remaining staff had their own work to do. Although she hadn't seen a single worker since she walked through the servant's entryway. This place, much like the forest, was a maze even with the map; so she had already gotten lost within a half hour of arriving. 

"You seem lost." A dusty voice startled her from her gazing, and she placed her hand over her rapid beating heart as a red haired young man appeared from the shadows. Thankfully he was smiling, and not here to scream at her. 

"Ah, yes, I'm trying to find the servant's quarters. This place is so gargantuous..." Sakura's voice lowered to a soft tone as the man came further into the light, his pale skin and striking eyes reflected the colorful light in an ethereal way. 

'His features are so striking...' She thought, noticing a lack of eyebrows to his face. Despite this fact he still managed to appear handsome, albeit a bit frightening with how dark the hollows of his eyes were. 

"I see, you must be the new help. The princes go through so many servants." The redhead smiled kindly at her, but his words and visible fangs left her unnerved. "You are prettier than the last assistant, surely they will be kinder towards you." 

The pinkette was instantly thrown from a beautiful and quiet world into something more akin to strange nightmare. Her imagination started to run wild at the thought of what they might do to their servants here. However, she also did not want to pry for information either. Drudging up drama also had it's own price if caught in its midst. 

"If you could perhaps point me in the right direction--" She started, and the man gave a soft laugh. 

"I can lead you to it, if you'd like?" As he moved further into the hall she noticed that he had an odd scar on his forehead. It was a character for love, and she found it odd that someone with such a blatant marr to their face was allowed to work here within the palace walls. 

"That would be lovely, thank you." She accepted his offer, knowing that he was her best bet to getting to where she needed to go quickly. Yet her instincts told her to be extra cautious. 

He motioned her to follow him, and she did so without fail. His feet were unnaturally quiet as he walked, as if he had practiced this art of silence for a long time. For a servant his dress was quite nice: he wore a maroon silk vest over a white dress shirt with garnet cufflinks. He also wore a black cravat, and black pants with nice riding boots. She wondered if all of the staff had to dress this nicely, and felt ashamed at the fact that she only had one good dress. 

"My name is Sakura Haruno, what's yours?" Sakura trotted up to his side eagerly, watching his smile grow yet again. 

"Sasori." His eyes narrowed, looking forward now with a strange smirk. "I'm the king's nephew." 

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't know--" 

"It's fine, I prefer more 'common' interactions anyways. It's refreshing." The redhead answered with a cheerful chirp, and confidently took her arm into his own. The action startled her a bit, but she allowed for him to escorted her as he liked. "Is there anything you'd like to know about the royal princes? I can tell you all of their dirty secrets--" 

"If there are any rumors about them then I refuse to partake in such conversation. I don't approve of talking behind people's backs, especially if I'm working for them." The pinkette sighed, but didn't fail to notice the man guiding her had gone oddly quiet. His jaw seemed to clench for a moment before another smug grin appeared. 

"That's a shame, I was going to warn you about what they had done to the last assistant--" 

"I'll wait for them to tell me on their own terms." Sakura interjected quickly, but nearly stumbled as they made a swift turn around a corner. She looked over at her guide, watching as his face juggled between irritation and mirth. 

"You certainly are stubborn, aren't you?" The redhead scoffed, taking her down a dark hallway. There were no windows this time, and with every step she felt her instincts beg her to turn around. "Your stubborn loyalty will get you killed." 

The pinkette stopped dead in her tracks, slipping out of his grasp while he continued forward. Her eyes widening with dread as he turned around to face her with a blank expression. His coal rimmed eyes seemed to be lifeless now, and in the dim light it only scared her more. As if he felt nothing by saying such a thing. 

"We're going the wrong way." She blurted out, feeling the blood drain further from her face when he smiled darkly in answer. 

"Well at least you're not completely incompetent." His tone turned more dusty, more dark. "I was actually going to put you straight to work, but it seems like you want to go about it a different way--" 

Without thinking she turned on her heel and started walking back to where there was more light. His silent feet were still so quiet, even while running up to snatch her arm. The reaction was instant, and she hadn't meant to do it, but when he yanked her around to face him she slapped him out of fear. His pupiless eyes blinked at her, touching his own face as if no one had ever done that to him before. 

"You struck me..." The redhead murmured in shock, and she immediately shrunk in response to it; awaiting whatever surge of rage would come next. 

"I'm sorry... you startled me..." Sakura nearly whispered, her eyes welling up at the thought that they might have her head for this. 

Ghostly eyes searched her jades, his pale hand on her arm testing the grip with firm squeezes. He quickly reached for the hand that struck him, and studied it with a hazy interest. 

"No one has ever had the gall to do such a thing." He turned her hand around in his own, then pet the top of it gently. "I've struck so many people like you just did, but I never realized how much it stung... and yet it awakens the senses so nicely." 

The pinkette tried pulling out of his grasp, but he roughly pulled her back to him. When her chest touched his own she gasped, trying harder to wriggle herself out of his firm grip. 

"I don't know what I'm going to enjoy more, beating you or laying with you. Perhaps I'll rip open your pretty throat, I bet your blood is boiling right about now--" 

"Gaara." 

The redhead stopped his intimidation tactic to look up at the call, clearly seeing someone behind her. However, it wasn't who he was talking to that shocked her, nor was it completely the fault of what he had been describing. 

No... it was the name that had been called out... 

"Gaara, knock it off, would you? Stop scaring the help." She was pried out of his hands by an unseen ally, but her sights were trained on the redhead. 

"... Prince Gaara..." The pinkette's eyes started to well up with tears as the realization struck her hard. This was who she had to serve; this monster of a human being, and she had also just slapped him within minutes of meeting him. 

She knew then that she was doomed for the gallows. 

"I'm just testing to see if she'll be worth my time. So far she's more interesting than the last one, prettier too--" He reached out to touch her cheek, but a larger hand batted him away. 

"Father told you to keep this one alive. We can't keep replacing them." The figure she was leaning against argued, making her turn her head to look at who she now realized was her other master. They looked to be brothers, that was for certain, although this one was taller, brunette, and had more masculine features. 

Out of fear of punishment, and her own personal embarassment she immediately went to the ground. She pressed her forehead to the carpet, her hands placed palms down as well. As her breath quaked the brothers went silent leaving her with nothing but her pleas. 

"Forgive me, your grace! I didn't mean to strike you!" Sakura bursted into tears, the liquid soaking onto the crimson beneath her. "I beg for your mercy, your grace--" 

"Heh, she refers to me as if I were already a duke." Gaara snickered, and she peered up just enough to see his fine boots approaching her. 

"Spare the rod, Gaara. She's never been trained on court etiquette." The other prince, Kankuro, sighed as if he were already tired. 

The black tip of a princely boot touched her cheek, and she lifted her chin up for the redhead to see. She clamped her eyes shut, waiting to be kicked in the face or anything of the like. 

Nothing ever came. 

"Rise." All it took was one word, and she was moving to execute the demand. Once on her feet she felt dizzy with adrenaline, her body hot and cold at the same time. Cyan irises studied her, tracing her entire appearance without emotion. "I would like tea in my room, I shall grant you an hour to figure out where the kitchens are as well as my personal quarters." 

She quickly nodded, but as he turned around she realized that she needed more information than that. 

"What type of tea do you like?" The pinkette asked, forgetting her honorific, and recieving a raised naked brow for her poor manners. 

"Surprise me." Gaara answered with a tone dripping with sick mirth. His dark smile nearly forcing her soul to leave her body. 

But she stayed strong, and gave a stiff curtsey. 

"As you wish, your grace." 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

She was out of breath by the time she had made it to his room with the tea tray. The hour was closing in, and she had spent twenty of it literally running up and down every corridor on the castle main floor until she finally found the kitchens. Thankfully she found some workers there, and the cooks gave her decent directions to get to his room. It took four flights of grand staircases to get there, but she made it with five minutes to spare. 

The tea she chose was a black one, with lavender, rose, orange peels, and jasmine sprinkled in. She figured the dark tea with delicate floral notes would be best to keep him calm, and she made sure to supply the tray with clover honey and fresh cream. She also snagged some freshly baked scones and small sandwiches as well, just in case he was hungry. 

In her honest opinion she was preparing for any response from him, angry or otherwise, and she felt more confident in being prepared. However, as she got to his door she readied herself to knock only to stop after hearing some strange sounds. 

Odd shuffling, light laughter in a male tenor, the knob clinking as the door swiftly opened to reveal a disheveled maid. Sakura quickly blinked, taking in the young woman's clothing haphazardly clinging to her lithe frame. Her dark eyes avoided jade shamefully, as if she hadn't wanted anyone to see her in such a state. She excused herself, rushing past only to allow the pinkette to actually view the inside of his room. 

It was massive, and finely decorated in elegant furniture. A baroque canopy bed with dark wine bedding was against the farthest wall, adorned in thick curtains and beautiful tassels. He had his own grand fireplace, the largest Persian rug she had ever seen, book cases along any open wall that didn't display an elaborate tapestry, and a stunning red velvet sette with a matching chaise and bergere. Her jaw nearly dropped at the elegance of it all. 

"I didn't think you would make it back in time." Gaara responded smoothly, not caring that his shirt wasn't decent. In fact, it seemed he had left it slightly undone on purpose. 

'He's testing me.' The pinkette studied him for a moment, but said nothing in response. Instead she curtsied, and entered with the tray as if what had transpired hadn't bothered her in the slightest. 'I can't let his behavior get to me, no matter how upsetting I find it.' 

"I applaud you for figuring out how to navigate the castle. I was preparing myself to give you a lashing, but I suppose another time will have to do." He followed her across the room when she spotted the hand carved wooden coffee table, his eyes clearly tracing every movement she made. Once again she attempted to ignore his statements, knowing that he was only trying to get under her skin. "I'll be waiting for you to screw up, then you'll be mine, won't you--?" 

"I have prepared you a floral black tea, complete with cream and honey. I was told that the clover kind was your favorite, so I made sure to bring up a small jar." Sakura placed the silver tray down carefully, and began setting up his place setting. "I was unsure if you were hungry, so I have also provided small sandwiches, and freshly baked scones. I also asked the cooks what to expect for dinner, they say that for this evening's meal to expect baked goose with preserves, and slow cooked chuck roast with root vegetables. If you are unsatisfied with the selection they can prepare something else specifically for you." 

She finished setting out his cup, poured his tea, and prepared the small meal for him. The entire time he stayed silent, still watching her like a hawk. 

"Do you have any preference on what you would like to drink with dinner--?" 

"Your blood in a goblet." He replied with a dark snicker, and unfortunately she responded to it with a snip of her own. 

"Sorry, I'm not on the menu." The pinkette straightened, adjusting her dress before looking over her work. 

She stepped to the side for him to sit, and gave a light bow as he passed. However, she gasped as his hand quickly grasped her chin forcing her to look into his frightening gaze. His expression was slightly irritated at first, but then melted into a twisted smile. 

"Nothing is off the menu for me, if I so desired it I could bite into your flesh and bathe in your blood--" He leaned towards her with a lick of his lips, but she quickly jerked herself out of his hands. 

"And you would be no better for it." Sakura barked, allowing herself to give him just the slightest of glares. "It would only go to prove that you can't seem to hold onto anything long enough to appreciate what you truly have. I am a young, strong, and intelligent woman; it would be a terrible waste for you to just dispose of me--" 

"You think rather highly of yourself, that's quite arrogant for a commoner." Gaara's stoney mask returned as he sat down to take his tea, cyan orbs danced around the fine tray unamused. "The only reason you were brought here is because I had become bored with the last one, and unfortunately young and bright women are getting harder to find. You're not special by any means." 

"Then I'm sure beauty isn't what you truly enjoy if I'm the lesser on that list of girls." The pinkette tried desperately to not let his words harm her, but she couldn't fight the fact that they stung her enough to react. "I surmise that you became bored because they obeyed you completely. Perhaps some arrogant disobedience is just what you need--" 

"Ha!" The redhead gave a loud scoff, but what truly put her off was when he started clapping his hands in a slow mocking fashion. "I admire your courage to speak so freely, however if you continue to do so I will gladly have you killed for it." 

Despite his threat there was mirth to his eyes, he was clearly enjoying himself now more than he had before. It was obvious that he enjoyed a challenge, but what man didn't enjoy the thrill of the chase? She could play his game, it wouldn't be the first time she would have to manipulate the scene to get what she needed. 

"I think you enjoy the idea of someone challenging you--" 

"You think too much for a woman, it's disconcerting." Gaara responded with a raised hairless brow, but his former apathy was nowhere to be found. She had his full attention, no longer was he 'bored'. 

"I find it pathetic that a bright woman, such as myself, would frighten you so." A smirk quirked across her lips for a moment, and lingered further in her eyes. "You should find a more meak assistant if you can't handle friendly banter with a commoner." 

He gaped at her in a strange disbelief, as if he were greatly amused as well as distraught over the comment. Eventually he gave a strange laugh, but kept his haunting gaze zeroed in on her. 

"Do I not frighten you anymore? When we first met you were confused, and when you realized who I was you groveled at my feet. What has changed you so much in the span of an hour?" The redhead murmured, his tone dripping with sick glee. 

What had changed? Nothing, he simply tapped into a part of her that she couldn't delete from her psyche no matter how hard she tried. 

"I have little to no patience, and an explosive temper." Sakura admitted, choosing to look away from him. "Clearly you like to push people, and if you push me too hard I will snap whether it is in my best judgment or not. I have barely any control over it." 

There was silence that filled the luxurious room, and she almost wished he would say something smart just to avoid the awkwardness of her own confession. 

"It will get you killed." He murmured, and she turned her head to watch him drink the tea she had prepared. His eyes looked off into the distance, and seemed almost sad. 

Why? 

"I know, I accepted that fate the moment I was summoned. There is no possible way I will live long in this environment, and while I have no desire to die any time soon I have a feeling my days are numbered." Sakura gave a pitiful laugh, and shuffled on her feet. "I'll probably be due for the gallows tomorrow morning if I continue down this path. Perhaps I should leave you be for the remainder of the evening?" 

Gaara didn't look her way, instead he continued to space off into the distance before slowly nodding his head. With visible relief she curtsied, and made her way towards his door. 

"I shall have someone bring you better clothes." The redhead called out to her before she could turn the knob, stopping her in her tracks. "New shoes as well. You cannot be my personal attendant without looking the part. I don't need an eyesore at my side, I prefer finer things to look at--" 

"I'm sure if you had it your way you'd have me wearing nothing at all. Thank the heavens you're not the king." She spat back before opening the door with a huff. Thankfully all she could hear from him was boisterous laughter as the door closed, allowing her to sigh with relief after it had latched. 

She felt as if he could go either way at any time, she would have to watch his reactions carefully if she wanted to stay alive. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd post chapter 2 to keep everyone interested. Prepare for worsening spoilt-rotten behaviors 👏

  
Gaara had not called on her in over a week, but every day she recieved a new dress. She wondered if the fine dresses would stop coming at any point, especially considering they could all be considered ball gowns even by high society standards, but then she had to remind herself that the royal family was wealthy beyond belief. 

The dresses may not have had all of the beads, lace, and hoops that she had seen high class women wear, but despite being hardly fluffed these were still evening dresses. No one in their right mind would wear a collarless dress during the day, let alone ones in deep, vibrant color ranges. 

The first dress she recieved had been dark red velvet, which was fitting coming from him. The sleeves came down in large poofs to her elbows, but the neckline plunged to show her entire collarbone shoulder to shoulder. She was embarrassed to wear it around the castle, especially when going to certain etiquette lessons that had been arranged for her by Baki. However, he didn't seem to bat an eye at the fashion statement. In fact he said nothing about it. 

Her next day was a dress of similar fashion, only this time it was emerald green iridescent taffeta with black trim. That day was spent in the kitchens learning how to prepare different foods for serving. Her tea lessons were spent in a silk royal purple dress, music in sapphire satin, dancing in bright crimson faille, pewter poplin for language arts and geography, and today consisted of a jett purple moire. 

At first these fabrics were unknown to her, but she quickly became acquainted of why they were used in certain dresses and their effects. The moire, for example, was so unique that it looked like the bands in cut wood. As she moved the fabric in the light different parts of it would catch, turning what she thought was a black dress into purple rings and bands. It was possibly the most beautiful and hypnotic fabric she had ever seen. Of course, all of these fabrics were simply variations of silks and cottons, but these different textiles were still so different from each other. 

The moire dress had a larger skirt than the others, and was by far the most elegant. She felt so luxurious wearing it, and yet she also felt a bit silly as the other staff were not as dressed up as she was. She felt like going to confront him about it, but then again she also felt that she shouldn't complain either; they were essentially beautiful gifts and she was not so rude as to look a gift horse in the mouth. She would wear them, even though he never seemed to see her in them regardless. 

Kankuro, however, had seen all of them. He had at one point chuckled over how fanciful they were, but he never told her that she shouldn't wear them. However, he did say something that struck her as odd. 

"Usually Gaara has our attendants wear much more gaudy and revealing dresses, I'm surprised at how nice these ones are." The brunette rubbed some of her sleeve fabric between his fingers, admiring the sheen. "These are beautiful fabrics, expensive fabrics... it's almost as if he is trying to win your favor." 

That surprised her enough that she spilt a bit of the tea she had been pouring into his cup. She quickly, and discreetly cleaned up the mess. 

"His royal highness doesn't care for me in such a way, I assure you." Sakura sighed, knowing what the real reason was. "What he is doing is forcing great finery on me. These dresses must cost a fortune, probably enough to feed and house my family for a year if not more. It is his twisted way of insulting me." 

The elder prince beside her went quiet for a moment, then sipped on his tea with a soft hum. 

"I think you might have solved the maze that is my younger brother, miss Sakura." Kankuro chuckled, enjoying more of the tea's flavor before continuing. "However, he hasn't struck you. That is something to be proud of--" 

"The fact that he hasn't struck me just means that he has yet to be within my presence, which is the honest to God's truth." Sakura huffed, plating up the tea time snacks with more force than necessary. "Of course he gifts me these beautiful dresses, tells me to wear them, and then never bothers to see the fruits of his labors. What a complete waste of a poor joke! He is too lazy to even come down and mock me!" 

Kankuro's muffled laughter had her head whipping in his direction fast. He held his hand over his mouth, but the chuckles were still slipping through. It made her temper sky rocket. 

"Giggle all you want, just know that nothing is more insulting than being the butt of a joke, and yet the jester doesn't even make time to enjoy it's 'hilarity'--" 

"You sound as if you want him to come laugh at you." The brunette gave her an odd smile, implying something that made the hairs on her neck rise up. 

"It has nothing to do with me wanting him around, I have absolutely no desire to see him. I just don't want my discomfort to be for nothing. It is like I've been presented, and then forgotten. If he aimed to hurt me then he succeeded. I hope that at least makes that miserable man actually happy for once." Her tone was sour and biting, and she didn't like the way those words felt leaving her mouth. It made her quickly shake her head, filling her with burried guilt. "Forgive me, I didn't mean those things--" 

"No no! It's alright, he has that effect... on almost every woman... he clearly still has issues." At that moment Kankuro cut himself short, clearly not wanting to spill anymore information yet his hesitancy spelled out everything she needed to know. 

Gaara still hadn't recovered from his mother's passing, despite telling everyone otherwise. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

Sakura practically dragged herself into the library, still not accustomed to wearing fancy shoes her feet were beginning to ache horribly. She sat down at a table, looking over the family historium of the Sunagakure monarchy. While most things were boring she did find out a few rather interesting things... 

Like the fact that marrying cousins was apparently common. That bit bothered her slightly, but it looked like they tended space it enough that it didn't cause any problems. However, part of her wondered if that's why Gaara was so strange, but then again everyone else seemed to be just fine. She chalked it up to nurture rather than nature. 

Red, light brown, and blonde hair was also common among the family line. Apparently red hair was so loved at one point that anyone born with a crimson mane was forced to have more than three heirs in the hope that they could pass down the recessive trait. Once again she found that strange, yet intriguing-- 

"Did you know that the majority of the local red haired population is related to this family?" 

The voice had her jolting forward with a small shriek, not expecting someone to come up behind her so quietly. She looked back to find a familiar set of pupiless eyes staring back at her. They held emotion, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. 

"As I was saying, anyone in this kingdom with a shade of red to their hair is related to our family." Gaara murmured then, almost as if he were lowering his voice for her benefit. "Your hair is included in that." 

Sakura did a double take, then scoffed before looking back at her book.   
"I am in no way related to you--" 

"Your family has been here for many generations, or so I've been told. There is no way that you're not related to me, plus both of your parents have a red shade to their hair." His hand boldly reached out to touch her half pinned up locks, rubbing the pink waves between his fingers. "Your color is more rare than mine. I'm surprised it's not more coveted. Then again, it could just be very new... that happens sometimes." 

Sakura turned her face away with a blush, and the hair between his fingers slipped away to brush back against her cheek. Something about the way he looked at her just then made her feel vulnerable, as if his piercing gaze could see everything. 

"I assume you've finally grown the nerve to come down here, and mock me properly?" The pinkette deflected with sarcasm, trying anything to get herself away from that very small bit of admiration he had held before. "I doubt you came here to admire this poor commoner's hair--" 

"No, I came down to admire you as a whole, and see how you are fairing." Gaara narrowed his eyes knowingly when her head whipped to look back at him once more. With a sly smirk he took hold of her hand, and began urging her out of her chair. "If you would be so kind as to show me how well this dress wears, I would appreciate it greatly." 

Sakura blushed harder, but wondered just what his game was. She stood up as she was asked, but immediately regretted it as his eyes drank in her image. It was like he was dissecting her with his thoughts alone. 

"Lovely. I knew you would look best in darker colors, your bright skin glows in contrast." The redhead reached forward without a second thought, startling her as his porcelain fingers brushed against her exposed collarbone. "You clean up so nicely, it's almost as if you were meant to be royalty." 

The compliment hit her harder than she would care to admit, forcing her to turn her body away from him to avoid his strangely caring touches. However, it wasn't long before she felt his cool fingertips smoothing over her exposed shoulders as he crept up from behind. 

"Your highness--" She started to say, but he quickly hushed her. 

"I rather enjoyed that last honorific you gave me. Call me 'your grace' instead." As the words dripped from his lips she felt the very same warm against her skin, the soft kisses unnerving her to the point where she pushed away from him. 

As she whipped around to face him she noticed an odd smirk forming on his handsome face. Smug and proud; it instantly enraged her. 

"You will not touch me in such a manner." Sakura growled, much to his surprised delight. 

"Oh? You think you can give me orders--?" 

"I will strike you if you do it again!" The pinkette snapped, and despite her disrepect towards a prince he seemed to be growing more enthused by her theatrics. 

"Then you'll die. I will kill you this time if you don't obey." Gaara took a few steps closer to her, her fingers closing into clenched fists as he backed her into a bookshelf. "Are you afraid of me now--?" 

"No." Sakura hissed, keeping her composure while standing her ground. "Do it. Kill me. At the very least it will get me away from you." 

His expression faltered for a moment, the stoney mask he liked to put on returned only to make him unpredictable. She didn't expect him to do anything from a place that abandoned emotion, but perhaps that was the area he needed to retreat to in able to execute horrible acts. 

His hand was suddenly in her hair, pulling painfully at the locks before slamming her skull into the bookcase. One of the books came toppling down to hit him in the shoulder, but despite the heavy tome striking him hard he never even flinched. 

"You will take me seriously--" 

"I already do!! I no longer care!! Just do it!!" The pinkette screamed as his face hovered just inches away from her own. He pulled back hard, making her yelp, but she shouted at him once more. "DO IT!!" 

There was a pause to his actions, his bitter eyes studied her gritting teeth. He gave a small yank, making her snarl from the pain, but she still didn't beg him to stop. It seemed to bother him greatly, enough to make him abandon his grip and step away with a snarl of his own. 

"Stupid wench!" Gaara moved to walk away, but as the red filled her eyes she did something that she knew would get her killed. 

She spat. 

His retreating figure stopped, his shoulders heaving with breaths that grew bigger with each inhale. This time he turned around; this time he was furious. She tensed as his footsteps hauled towards her, and her eyes closed awaiting a thorough beating. 

She waited, she listened to his harsh breathing as she winced. When nothing happened she peeked open her eyes to find him standing inches away from her once more, his hand raised and yet it didn't strike down. She looked at it, watching it falter in the air before coming back down in defeat. 

"Do you really hate me that much?" His words came out in a small murmur, surprising her. 

Was he actually having second thoughts? 

"You've given me no reason to like you. You have humiliated me, insulted me, and harmed me--" 

"I was trying to be kind to you before this!" The redhead shouted, but his words only made her wither with disgust. 

"I have no desire to be intimate with someone who treats me shamefully. Your lustful actions are not a gift, they are a curse!" With that said she quickly pushed past him, and fled out of the library as if she were being chased by the devil himself. 

She could hear him from down the halls, shouting and destroying things. Clearly he was not used to rejection, and yet he wanted her compliance. She refused to give it to him. 

He could destroy the entire library for all she cared. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

There was a pounding on her door late that night, rousing her from a nightmare that she couldn't remember. Her eyes searched in the darkness, confused as to where she was once again only for the pounding sound to remind her. 

Swiftly getting to her feet she hurried over to her robe to drape it over her thin white nightgown. She finally got to the door, opening it only to find a bitter looking Baki on the other side. 

"Prince Gaara has called for you, and I advise that you come quickly as he is in a foul mood." The man looked worn, and tired. Clearly he had stayed up late with the prince doing God knows what. 

'Someone needs to put that brat in his place.' She thought as she slipped on her old house slippers. With a sigh she followed after Baki, trying to keep up with his longer legs and faster pace. 

Was Gaara still angry from earlier? Was tonight going to be the night that he finally killed her? She honestly didn't know what to expect, and more than a few scenarios filled her head. He could harm her, rape her, kill her, and he wouldn't be punished for any of it. That made her even more angry, as it wasn't good makings for a future king. 

'Gaara won't take the throne anyways, he's preceded by his brother; thank the heavens for that.' The pinkette didn't want to imagine the redhead on the throne, the power he had made him dangerous enough as is. 

After trekking up a more than a few flights of stairs they finally made it to his quarters, and the sounds of his anger could be heard out in the hall. A few maids stood a fair distance away from the door, clearly ordered to stay there and report if he should leave the room. They looked frightened... 

"I've already had enough of this." Sakura growled out, getting shocked looks from everyone as she approached the door herself. Baki shouted something at her, but it went on deaf ears as she flung the entrance wide open. 

Everything went silent, and her eyes rested on the enraged man in the center of the room. His frightening eyes turned on her, looking as if they sought out blood. She surveyed the area, noting how much of the fine furniture he had already destroyed. So many nice things... wasted by his ridiculous temper. 

"You--!!" Gaara hissed, tripping over some of the broken things before stumbling forward. 

'Oh great, he's drunk.' The pinkette instantly withered. She rolled up her sleeves, and stormed in to give him a piece of her mind. 

"I'll kill you!!" The redhead went to swing at her, but because of how drunk he was she easily dodged it, and then pushed on his stumbling form until he fell onto the ground. 

There was gasping behind her, but she didn't care. He needed to be taught a lesson. 

"How dare you keep all of your loyal servants awake like this!! Do you have any idea what time it is?!" Sakura took a throw pillow off the ground, and smacked him over the head with it. No one seemed to gasp anymore, but the dead silence behind her wasn't any more comforting either. "This is not the behavior of a prince! You are acting like a belligerent tyrant!!" 

"I AM YOUR MASTER--!!" 

"NO YOU ARE NOT!! I CONTROL WHETHER YOU HAVE POWER OVER ME OR NOT!!" The pinkette smacked him with the pillow again, and it bothered him enough to get him up on his feet. "You want to fight?! You want to kill me!?! Fine!! Just know that I am not a coward, and I will hit you back!!" 

He swayed on his feet, and then went in to charge at her like a bull only for her to step to the side. He tripped over a broken chair, and fell once more onto the ground. 

"I... will have you... hung for this..." Gaara panted, trying to get up on shaking arms only for her to come back over with the pillow and strike him down. 

"Fine, you do that, but until the guards come I will continue to beat some sense into you with this!" She smacked him over the head, and watched him turn around with snarl as he tried to catch it. "You are a spoilt brat!! Burdening others with your selfishness and tantrums!! Stop acting like a rotten child!!" 

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!" He screeched, this time throwing his fists onto the ground instead of towards her. It was small, but it was progress. 

"Well someone clearly has to mother a vicious manchild like you!!" As those words left her she noticed the energy in the room change, his growls and snarls turned into exhausted huffs of breath, and she could see his body begin to shake before his head dipped down to hide his face. 

She had finally gotten to him, and now she had to save his pride before he made even more of an ass of himself. With a sigh she turned towards the doors, walking towards them with purpose-- 

"Don't leave!" He croaked out, and thankfully it only further proved that her next choice was best. 

"I'm not going to, settle down." Sakura assured him sternly, looking at Baki and the maids before giving another tired sigh. "He'll be fine, you can all go to bed. I'll take care of him." 

"I'll leave when a guard comes to replace me." Baki said, looking even more tired than before. "If you die it's your own fault--" 

"Yes, no need to remind me." The pinkette rolled her eyes as she closed the door, taking a deep breath before turning to face her charge. 

Gaara looked to be a complete mess, his shirt and pants were torn in certain places, he had cuts all over his hands and one unsightly gash along his forearm. He was swaying even while sitting, and his shoulders were shaking as he gave out loud shuddering breaths. 

"Are you done throwing a fit? Or should I leave, and come back when you are sane--?" 

"I-I'm done..." The redhead nearly whimpered, making himself sound pitiful and sad. 

'I wonder if they just gave up on him the moment he started acting out as a child...' Sakura wondered, her heart feeling for him just the slightest. 'He needs better council to curb this behavior.' 

The pinkette slowly approached him, noticing droplets appear on the floor where he hung his head. She had known that he was going to cry, from the moment he started calming down her gut told her this would happen. 

"Do you want to move to a different room since you have destroyed this one?" Sakura asked gently now, and it seemed to be in her favor. 

"Will you... come with me?" The redhead sniffled, trying to wipe his eyes so she wouldn't see his tears. It was kind of cute. 

"Of course, your grace." The pinkette responded, placing a hand on his shaking shoulder only for him to grab hold of it. 

At first it startled her, but when he nuzzled his wet cheek against the top of her hand she realized that he was simply starved for affection. So she took a step closer, and gently pet his hair with her other hand. 

"... Thank you..." Gaara whispered. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

It didn't take long for them to get him moved into another room, and Baki had decided to stick around until the prince was settled. Oddly enough the drunken prince kept reaching out for her hand, leaning his head on her shoulder, or would cling entirely to her arm like a child. It was odd, but she had witnessed other drunkards pull similar antics, she was just glad that he wasn't trying to grope her. 

"Stay the night with me..." Gaara leaned against her side, letting his head loll onto her shoulder again. She sighed as the guest bedroom was being turned down, and watched as the maids adjusted the sheets and pillows. 

"That would be inappropriate--" 

"Nooo, no. No, it's fine." The redhead almost whined in protest, rubbing his face against her robe. "I won't be pettish... I won't..." 

Sakura almost groaned, wondering when she would be able to go to sleep herself. 

'I can't leave him like this, he might have another tantrum.' She decided that picking her battles was best. He wasn't acting like a monster anymore, and a childish disposition was easier to deal with than that of a tyrant. 

"I will stay until you are asleep, then I will take my leave--" 

"Then I refuse to sleep." Suddenly his arms wrapped around her in an embrace, it was so strange that her entire body tensed up from the action. She noticed the cuts on his arms had crusted over, leaving little to bandage up. 

"Then you will become ill, and I shall be vexed." The pinkette spoke calmly, but her tone was still stern. He started to whine in protest again, but she gently hushed him. Surprisingly he listened, and simply held her. "I want you to remember this in the morning, and truly reflect on your actions this night. I should have no need to scold you like this again. You have taxed me to a degree that is unacceptable, not even for a royal prince." 

He said nothing, but he continued to nuzzle against her shoulder regardless. 

The room was done being prepared, and the maids filtered out as quietly as they had come in. The door closed behind Sakura and her woozy prince, leaving them alone with nothing but the glow of a warm fireplace across the room. 

The pinkette ushered him to bed, and he flopped onto it with a dead weight. She would tap at certain limbs to get him to pull them up so she could properly cover him with the luxurious blankets. He tossed, and whined, unhappy with having to go to sleep even though it was obvious that he was exhausted. 

"We're going to discuss this in the morning, I hope you understand that." Sakura huffed as she went about pouring him a glass of water from a silver jug. Forcing it into his hand while he sat up on his side. He drank it sloppily, shoved the silver cup back towards her, then flopped back down onto his fluffy pillows with a huff. 

"Does that mean you're sleeping here?" Although still drunk, his sentences were still well put together. She had to hand it to him for still being able to speak at this point. 

"I'll sleep on the sette." The pinkette murmured, only to get a groan of disapproval. 

"No, sleep here." Gaara smacked at the space next to him, the gesture looking so ridiculous she almost laughed. 

"I will not. You're too lecherous--" 

"I wooon't. I swear on my crown." The redhead broke out into a small goofy giggle, as if he found his own antics funny. 

He wasn't being rude, he wasn't being cruel, nor was he acting perverse. Secretly she wanted to trust him, as if it would somehow make working for him easier. She wished they could be on better terms. Perhaps if she was lenient just this once things between them could go smoother. 

'The second he tries anything lecherous, I am leaving.' Sakura decided, and with a nod to herself she circled around the bed. She took a calming breath before climbing in beside him, and laid on her side to watch him as he shifted around to do the same. His eyes were glazed, but they no longer looked hateful like they had earlier. 

"This... this was all I wanted..." Gaara sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to gather some of his thoughts. "Loneliness is... the worst feeling... don't you agree?" 

The pinkette couldn't help but nod. Right now she missed her family, and wondered if they missed her just as much. Yet he was here with his own family, and he still felt that crushing loneliness. How long had he felt like this? Had it always been this way--? 

"I'm always lonely..." His voice interrupted her thoughts, and she decided to truly study him in that moment. The tyrant was broken, a shell of repressed emotion. "I enjoy your good, and unshakeable character... I want you to stay..." 

He looked sad then, even though his eyes were shut tight. His hand reached out blindly for hers, and she decided to take it. She told herself that it was to keep him calm, but part of her also felt comforted by it. 

"You have royal blood... did you know that?" His eyes opened then, transfixed on her face in a hazy way. She almost laughed at the comment though, there was no way she had any royal lineage. 

"You're a liar--" 

"What I say is the truth." Gaara huffed bitterly, his fingers gripping around her hand firmly. "When I saw you I knew... and so I researched it..." 

She blinked at that, her eyes widening as his gaze never parted from hers. 

"You have royal blood... and that's why they're teaching you so many things... they're going to make you into a lady of the court..." The redhead smiled dopily, closing his eyes as if this were the happiest of news. "I won't let them take you though... you're mine... my precious spring..." 

It was quick, but he passed out peacefully nonetheless; leaving her with her rapid heart and speeding thoughts. He had to be lieing to her, he just had to. There was no way that she could have royal blood thrumming through her veins. It just wasn't possible. 

It couldn't be true... could it? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooo our prince is getting stranger and stranger, what will happen next? Let me know how you feel in the comments below 😈


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a gut feeling that you guys are going to hate Gaara for a minute...

  
Sakura had woken up before him, and slipped out of his room quietly. She hurried through the massive halls to get back to her room, only to find a new dress waiting for her. Apparently he was going to continue gifting her these things despite all of the arguments they've had, which she found peculiar. 

She changed out of her robe and nightgown, and changed into the newest dress. It was a goldenrod dress this time, and it had medium length sleeves and an exposed collar. The fabric was fine silk that flowed and draped rather than stayed stiff, if she recalled correctly these were called 'tea dresses', but they still weren't technically appropriate for a working environment. However, it was better than an evening gown. She pinned up her hair somewhat plainly, and pulled on some white cloth topped boots that buttoned up to her knee. Thankfully the prince had gifted her shoes and boots to go with her dresses, although she knew all of this must have costed a fortune. 

'I feel like I'm in his debt...' That thought bothered her, but not as much as the statement he had made last night about her being of royal descent. What was the point in telling her that? Was that something she should be proud of? Was he proud of that? Did that force him to look at her differently? 

Everything was confusing to her, and the more lessons she went to the more she started to realized that she was in fact being groomed for something other than just serving the prince. 

'Perhaps they plan on marrying me off.' She wondered further, only to feel more out of control of the situation. Her life never seemed to be her own anymore. 'I wonder if he feels this way too.' 

In the afternoon she had served tea to Kankuro once again, only this time he asked her to join him at the table. It was unheard of for a 'servant' to join their master for tea, but she did it only because he insisted. 

"How was Gaara last night? I hear from the maids that you had to stay with him for the entirety of the evening." The brunette sipped at his tea with a poise she greatly respected, clearly he had taken all of his lessons seriously. 

"He was drunk, and clearly out of control. I had to put a stop to the behavior less he make an utter fool of himself." Sakura sipped at her own tea as well, realizing quickly that it was possibly the best tea she had ever tasted. If she was to actually become part of the royal family she could easily get used to eating and drinking all of the delicious fares. 

"You're too kind, I would have let him fall just to teach him a lesson--" 

"Oh, I let him have it. I hit him with a pillow, and gave him a thorough scolding." The pinkette sipped her tea proudly, not failing to notice the man now gaping at her like a fish. 

"He could have killed you! Are you mad?!" Kankuro became animated quickly, showing his concern for her. It was more of a compliment than it was an insult, at least she could tell that he cared. 

"He tried to execute me, but he was stumbling too much to land any hits. I made him fall more than once, and then he just broke down. He begged me to stay, and since he was no longer acting like a beast I agreed to it. Nothing more came of it, I simply provided him company." Sakura sighed then, remembering the sadness that seemed to overwhelm the younger prince, turning him from a monster into a small child yearning for attention. "He never actually healed... did he?" 

There was a moment of silence between them, and it was when Kankuro put his cup down that she gave him her complete attention. He looked solemn, worn... miserable. 

"Our mother passed away from an illness that could not be treated, even by the best of doctors. It was very sudden, and Gaara had stayed with her through her last breath. He had watched her die when everyone else was out of the room. He didn't cry right away, in fact he had stayed there with her dead body for nearly an hour before someone checked in on them." The brunette closed his eyes, and took a deep breath as he recalled the memories. "I remember taking him away from that room. My sister was in hysterics, but he just seemed to be lifeless. It were as if a part of him died with my mother that day. He has never loved anything since, and has only shown hate and spite for nearly everything around him." 

Kankuro took a sip of his tea while the pinkette looked at her own cup. Her throat started to clench with the urge to cry, thinking about a small boy going through such an ordeal was horrifying. 

"However, he's been having breakdowns like these lately. He'll have moments of clarity, and then he'll weep, as if he actually feels guilty for the wrongs he has done. Although, it doesn't take long for him to go back to being cruel again. I think he's afraid of loving something, and having it taken away. It's why he has no attachments to anything, and why it is so easy for him to send people to the noose or a jail cell. He hates because it is easier for him to deal with anger than it is to deal with loss." 

Sakura found herself dreaming in the reflective tea in her cup, her eyes slightly watering but refusing to shed tears. Just because he was afraid didn't mean it was okay for him to hurt others. Just because she understood him didn't make his behavior right. However, she wanted him to be a better person, and that was her truth. 

"I want to help him be a better man, a better leader." The pinkette exhaled her frustration, and breathed in her yearning for peace. "Do you think it's possible?" 

The brunette stayed silent, choosing now to look out one of the large windows that showed a wintry forest. 

"I'm not certain, but I wish for nothing less." 

She smiled at that, knowing that despite the odds he was at the very least on her side. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

Later that day she was summoned to the young prince's side in his official office, and sadly he had seemed to go right back into being a complete bastard. 

"Prepare a pipe for me." Gaara demanded, pointing to his rococo writing desk by the window. It had several hand carved drawers, and some gold ornate boxes on top. It was a fine lacquered mahogany, deep and rich. "You'll find my pipe in the top left drawer, and the tobacco in the gold box on top to the left as well. Matches should be next to the pipe." 

Sakura followed his order silently, thinking to herself that he was far too bossy. However, he was a prince, and she was his servant; she shouldn't expect anything more. As she approached the desk the pinkette carefully traced her fingers over the beautiful wooden carvings. It was rare for her to see such craftsmanship, and she took a minor moment to appreciate it's beauty. Her fingertips stayed on the lacquered surface, dragging softly as she traced the grooves. Eventually she found the drawer, and took the gold plated handle in her hand to carefully tug it open; immediately finding the items he wanted. 

The pipe was made of ivory, and oddly enough a beautiful human skull carving was the bowl piece. The top of the skull, where ones brain would be, was where the tobacco was placed. Her eyes followed the rest of the stummel finding naked women reaching out to hold or caress the skull, their only modesty were the carved roses highlighting around their curves. Other than that everything was displayed quite graphically. The stem, of course, was gold plated; everything in this palace seemed to have gold mixed in with the design-- 

"Well, are you going to pack it? Or just stare at it for an eternity?" The redhead muttered from his favorite chair, she had to hold back from rolling her eyes. 

Instead of answering him verbally she simply went about her task; opening the ornate box of tobacco, and finding it's contents to be odd. She took a pinch of it, noticed it's strangely medicinal fragrance right away. It's color was also off, perhaps it was some rare blend? Regardless, she packed it anyways. 

She remembered having to do this for her father sometimes if he was busy, she would even light it for him. However, it wasn't wise to puff away on a prince's pipe; it was better if she brought him the pipe and matches instead of lighting it herself. 

Sakura approached his ornate chair with gold leaf trim, holding out the pipe and matches for his eyes to see only to have him wither at the gesture. She stopped about a couple feet away from him, waiting for him to say something insulting. 

"Are you deaf? When I say prepare a pipe for me, I expect it to be lit--" Gaara began to argue, and this time she really did roll her eyes at him. 

"Fine. I just didn't want to tarnish your nice things with my 'commoner' mouth." The pinkette scoffed before placing the stem of the pipe in her mouth. She struck a match on the match box, and held the flame over the bowel before puffing on it. 

It didn't taste like normal tobacco, and as the smoke occasionally filled her nostrils she inhaled it's strange scent. 

"Go ahead, and have some. I insist." The redhead's tone was too sweet, and immediately raised her suspicions. She had the pipe lit far enough for him, and decided to hand it over to him. She didn't want to risk inhaling any more of it. "Not one for madak, that's a shame--" 

"What is 'madak'?" Sakura frowned. She had never heard of any tobacco by that name. Perhaps he was more fond of cloves, or maybe even catnip or some other strange herb. 

A sly grin spread across his face, showing his prominent fangs. If she were reminded of anything it would be the face of a fox sneaking into a hen house. Foxes were stunningly beautiful, and playful, but they really did cause too many problems. 

"Just something nice. Never you mind." Gaara held his hand out for the pipe, but when she went to hand it to him she lost her balance. 

Suddenly she was weak, all of her muscles felt loose like gelatin, the world wasn't necessarily spinning but she felt quite sleepy. Where did she land? Nothing was hurting, did he manage to catch her? 

"That affected you more than I expected." Gaara spoke, but his voice seemed to be coming from above her. 

Now that she regained her bearings she realized she had actually landed on the floor, but what was odd was that she didn't feel any pain from it. She touched the Persian rug beneath her to be sure she could still feel things, and found that her sense of touch was still fine. 

"Wh... what---" She tried to say, finding it difficult to even push herself up off the floor. It was almost impossible. 

"Do you need help?" The redhead asked smugly, clearly he was more amused by this situation than she was. She nodded mutely, and in an instant she felt his lean hands man handling her until she was properly in his arms. "You're not too heavy either--" 

"You... are... so rude...." The pinkette huffed, but also couldn't find it in her to care much about his poor bedside manner. 

He carried her over to a saphire chaise, and propped some of his luxurious pillows behind her so that she could sit up slightly. As her eyes tried to take in the light she realized that he was staring at her. For so long she tried to gain some focus, and the entire time he would simply watch her. Any time her eyes would meet his she felt that she had to find something else to look at, but she was physically tired from looking off to the side. 

"What... did you.... give me?..." Sakura tried blinking, only to find her eyes desperately wanting to close.   
A warm hand caressed her jaw, forcing open her eyes to see him so close to her face. 

"I lied to you, while it is similar to madak it is actually a drug of my own design. You see, normal opium does nothing for me, I have to make stronger mixtures in able to feel even just a mild effect." Gaara smiled as if this was the sweetest information he could give, yet in reality it was absolutely horrifying. "Had you actually smoked that pipe rather then puffing and sniffing you would probably be dead." 

Even though this news was probably the worst she ever could recieve she felt almost no stress at the moment. Whatever drug he had cooked up had her so relaxed that someone could tell her that she was seconds away from death, and she wouldn't care. 

"You're... evil." Sakura murmured, this time making an effort to stare right into his eyes. Despite not caring on a chemical level, deep down she knew that this was wrong. 

The redhead blinked at her, his eyes searching hers wearily. He didn't seem to care that she had said that, and yet she felt that this reaction meant the opposite. Only when he went emotionless did she know that she struck a nerve. 

"You think I don't know?" He gave an awkward laugh, his naked brows furrowed for a moment before his mouth matched with a thin line. "I am possibly the most despicable man you will ever meet. Do you want to know what I enjoy doing in my spare time?" 

She wanted to shake her head, but she couldn't find the strength to do it. When she refused to answer him he simply sighed. 

"I love witnessing people at their most primitive moments." Gaara didn't smile, he didn't laugh, he didn't even frown. It was a blank slate, with shark-like eyes. "I enjoy it when people fight, cry, pray, laugh, scream... just about anything you can think of. If they have stronger emotions I like them even more so, they are so much fun to watch... or to tease..." 

His hand cupped her chin, tilting up her head just so that he could ghost his lips over her own. It was far too intimate, it was too much, but she couldn't push away. 

"I enjoy watching you be so weak, and yet I can still see that unstoppable fire in your eyes. Even now if you could strike me down I know you would, but you can't. You're too inebriated to do anything." 

His lips pressed in for a soft kiss, but she refused to return it. 

"I have so many plans for us. Watching you crumble will definitely be rewarding. Like breaking in a wild horse, I shall force you to prance before riding you into the dirt." He pulled back enough to look at her fully, running his fingers along her throat before smoothing over the exposed part of her chest. Even though the touch was invasive, oddly enough he was being very gentle. "I can do anything to you right now. I could rip away all of your modesty, and force you onto your hands and knees; naked like a dog." 

She had never wanted to slap someone so much in her life, but at the moment she could barely lift her arms. There would be no point to exerting the energy. Even as he now placed his entire hand over her breast she stayed silent, she refused to give him any reaction. He would recieve nothing. _Nothing_. 

"You really are stubborn. I bet I could fuck you as hard as I liked, and you would still keep that lovely mouth of yours shut." Gaara grabbed her jaw roughly then, but at the moment she felt no pain. She simply closed her eyes, and tried to imagine a more peaceful place. "Shall I tie you up? Maybe I'll put a noose around your neck, and slowly tighten it..." 

She felt his hand around her neck then, but she was just too tired to care. She could hear her slow heartbeat pounding in her ears, and suddenly everything went black. 

The darkness seemed to go on forever. Where was she? How did she get here? How much time had passed? 

... Was he still with her? 

Sakura could hear heated whispers, at one point she felt a hand touch her forehead, and then finally she focused in on the quiet conversation in the dark. 

"You need to hurry up and eat something, Gaara. You can't keep doing these things to the staff." The low murmur sounded familiar, and judging by the first name basis she assumed it was Kankuro. "She's not well enough for it, use me instead for now. You know that it will be better for you than having some ordinary maid. Please, Gaara--" 

"You know, for someone who doesn't want to die you sure do beg for it a lot." The redhead answered with a snicker. 

Suddenly there was rough shuffling, something breakable was pushed off of a higher surface only to shatter when it hit the floor. When she heard something slam against a wall her eyes finally popped open, and with a silent breath she very carefully turned her head to assess what was going on in the dark of night. 

What... what where they doing there? Why was Kankuro against the wall, pinned beneath the smaller brother's surprising strength? 

A soft male groan erupted, and masculine hands held onto the younger prince's shoulders. 

"Gaara... we can't do it like last time..." Kankuro panted, and her eyes went wider at the strange display. "I... don't want to pass out." 

'What in God's name are they doing--?' She thought, only to watch the redhead pull away from his older brother's neck; licking his lips hungrily as he did so. 

"You're such a child." Gaara laughed breathlessly, going to the other side of the brunette's neck with a wicked grin. "You always cry when I'm too rough, it makes me want to do it even more--" 

"What are you two doing?" Sakura finally couldn't hold the question in, and when she saw Gaara visibly stiffen she knew she had caught him doing something he clearly wanted to remain as private. 

Was this truly a sexual encounter? She prayed that it wasn't, for it would be truly blasphemous. 

"It seems you miscalculated how long she'd be out for." Kankuro withered, but then stifled a snicker. "This will be hard to explain--" 

"No need. She can join us, the more the merrier. This way I don't have to overexert you in able to get what I need." When Gaara straightened away from his brother the pinkette felt the great urge to flee. 

Scrambling up off of the chaise, she broke out into a run on awkward legs only for him to catch her and push her front up against the ornate doors. 

"Slippery little minx, you can't escape from me so easily." The redhead purred, leaning in to brush his lips against the shell of her ear. "I can't wait to devour you... I bet you taste incredible--" 

She forced back an elbow into his ribcage, hearing him actually grunt in discomfort for once. Strangely he backed away from her, holding up one hand in surrender while the other held his abdomen. 

"Quite... the arm on you... That's fine... I understand." The redhead nodded more to himself than to her, but she was shocked that he was being so collected after she had just elbowed him in the lungs. After a moment he finally caught his breath, and straightened almost professionally. "Have a pleasant evening." 

Sakura stared wildly at him, the shift from insane to utterly polite was incomprehensible to her. Had he finally snapped? 

"A-are... you going to kill me?" The pinkette murmured, and he simply laughed. 

"Of course not. Clearly I have overstepped my bounds, you had every right to push me away like that." Gaara smiled then, and it was the strangest yet most genuine smile she had ever seen on him. "I'll try to be more civil with you from now on, Miss Haruno, please excuse my earlier foolishness." 

He gave a light bow, and then he walked over to the door to open it for her. She couldn't even blink she was in so much shock. From the light coming in from the hall she could see he looked to be of a better state of mind, but how? Even his skin seemed to be glowing. 

"I think you should retire for the evening, despite your earlier rest I do recommend sleeping off the effects of that smoke. Get some good rest, and I shall see you in the morning." Gaara guided her gently with his hand out the door, closing it very softly behind her. 

She stared at the large hallway carpet, and disassociate for at least fifteen minutes. 

There was no way that was Gaara, how could he just suddenly switch like that? It was too much for her to handle, she was so confused she simply wandered until finding her room once more. She stumbled into bed, and fell right back to sleep. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

Days came and went, but the young prince was not to be seen. She had questioned Kankuro on what she had seen that night, and his answer was unsurprisingly vague. 

"He was just lonely, it was nothing sinister I assure you." The brunette had claimed, but she didn't believe it. 

Something was going on here, and as she tried asking around everyone seemed to be either clueless or 'unsurprisingly vague'. They were dodging her questions, and she needed to know the answers. So she did something foolish, she actually requested an audience with her own master. She was denied, and she walked away from his quarters dragging her feet. 

Night came fast, and she was readying herself to have dinner with the other servants only to be called on by the one prince that gave her the most trouble. She had gone up to his room without argument, but when she opened the door she found that everything inside had been put back into proper order. 

Everything was replaced with equally beautiful items that looked similar to the last ones. Clearly they had these on standby in the case of a meltdown. 

"Good evening, your grace." Sakura curtsied before entering the room, closing the door behind her as he gave a nonchalant wave. "You called for me?" 

"Yes, please sit." Gaara motioned at a seat next to him at his small dining table, and she noticed quickly that there was a second place setting. "You haven't eaten yet, is that correct?" 

The pinkette blinked at the idea of the redhead inviting her to dine with him, but her hungry stomach told her that this was probably going to be the best food that would ever be offered to her. 

"You are correct, your grace--" 

"Good, come sit with me." The redhead stood up then, and pulled out the chair for her. It was the oddest, and most polite thing he had done so far. It made her wary, but she slowly went through the motions of executing his order regardless. 

She sat down in the chair as he pushed it in, making her blush as he took the seat next to her. Her voice was unable to come through even as he started dishing food onto her plate, she couldn't protest as he was being so kind now. 

"The other night I showed you something that I do not let others see. Not even my own family." Gaara murmured as he finished dishing up what looked like perfectly cooked deer. He also poured her a generous glass of wine in a silver goblet, much to her surprise. "I also allowed for you to parent me, which is completely unheard of. Clearly I have given you a great deal of power, and leniency." 

'So we're not going to talk about what happened in his office then? Figures.' She thought bitterly. At any rate, something told her that she was about to have her debts be rubbed in her face, and she waited for him to bring it up. 

"I want to apologize for my behavior, but I also want you to know that if you ever treat me like that again I will send you to the gallows. Do you understand?" He made strict eye contact then, holding her gaze with the most serious expression she had ever seen. However, she did not want to go back to their abusive relationship. She wanted him to be a better person, not this monster he was pushing himself to be. 

"On the condition that you treat me fairly, then I will honor that request--" 

"It is not a request. It is an order, and you will follow it no matter what happens." He snipped at her, and once again he poked the bear with a sharp stick. 

"No." Sakura took a bite of her deer, finding it to be the most delicious meat she had ever tasted. She had to try very hard not to make a sound while eating it. 

"Excuse me?" The redhead balked at her, but she just continued to eat. "Did you just tell me 'no'-?" 

"You are correct, I denied your demands. I will not allow you to make an utter ass of yourself just because you decided to have too much to drink." At that, she took a sip of her wine, and upon letting the liquid hit her tongue she did actually hum in contentment. 

"So what you are saying is, if I am drunk you will scold me--?" 

"Drunk, or having a tantrum. If you are out of line I will put you back on course. Threaten me all you like, I'm not doing it for my own benefit; I'm doing it for yours." Sakura took another bite of her meat, and could practically feel the heat to her cheeks it was so tasty. 

"You're doing it... for my benefit?" Gaara sounded confused, poking at his food while the question rattled in his brain. "Why?" 

"Because I don't like seeing you so miserable. I don't like seeing anyone in pain, and you carry more than that. You seem to be in a great deal of internal agony." The pinkette took another drink, and nibbled on her vegetables that were also perfectly cooked. "I know that you're lashing out because you are in pain, and not because you actually want to cause anyone else harm--" 

"I find great enjoyment from hurting others, that should be obvious." The redhead gloated then, and it bothered her enough to stop eating. 

She took hold of his carving knife, and handed it to him before presenting him with her up-faced palm. He blinked at her gesture, clearly confused by it. 

"If that is true then I want you to slice open my hand." Sakura held his eyes captive in her own, her tone dead serious. "Run it through if it pleases you, but do not tell me you enjoy inflicting pain on others without giving it to me personally." 

"You think I won't do it?" Gaara scoffed, but she merely returned the mocking laugh. 

"If you cared about me then you wouldn't. However, if you do not care about me then I am more than prepared to face that fact." The pinkette ran her thumb along the edge of the blade, allowing it to slice open the digit. She gave a slight wince, but kept her bleeding thumb pressed to the knife. "Please, show me that you wish to bring me harm. Make it believable." 

Time seemed to stop then, as the energy in the room suddenly shifted. His ghostly eyes watched the blood dripping onto the lacquered table, almost as if they were hungry. It was so odd to see him look like that, especially when he didn't give his dinner the same treatment. The knife slipped from his fingers, clattering on the shining wood before his hands grasped her hand with urgency. She was startled by it, but was even more afraid when he pulled her forward just to place her bleeding thumb into his heated mouth. 

"Your grace...?" Sakura winced as she felt his tongue lap over the wound, his mouth sucking more blood out of it as if it were something to drink. 

It stung, and it actually frightened her to the point that she couldn't move. The pinkette tried taking back her hand, but simply recieved a growl in return. His teeth bit down on her thumb, not enough to break the skin yet still enough to hurt. 

"Your grace, please stop." She almost whimpered, and was startled when he broke away only to move up to the fleshy part of her palm. He bit down harder this time, breaking the skin while she yelped in pain. "Gaara, stop!!" 

At the sound of his name he looked up at her, his teeth still embedded in her flesh causing a white hot pain to shoot up her arm. With his eyes locked onto hers he broke away only to lap at the now bleeding wound. She was shaken by it, his behavior was not normal even by his standards. What had happened to him? 

"Are we really so close that you are allowed to say my name?" Gaara purred, blood clinging to his lips as he went in for another languid lick. The blood pooled on his tongue, and as it coated it's entirety he gave out a relieved sigh. "Yes, you have more royal blood than you realize. I can taste it even among the dirty blood mingled within your veins. Such a delicate flavor..." 

"You're sick..." Sakura said with disgust, trying to take her hand away only for him to pull her entire form closer to him. Her chair scraped against the floor as her other arm clung to it, and her legs now bumped against his own. "Unhand me--!!" 

"No, I think we'll continue until my appetite has been satisfied." 

The lights in the room went out, the flames in the fireplace snuffed; plunging them into darkness. The pinkette shrieked as her form was manhandled, the prince moving her however he liked. Then came a sharp pain in her neck, and as she went to scream she found the sound was unable to be made. 

Curtains fluttered by the open window, letting in the chilled night air and revealing a clear full moon. Her eyes stared at it, mortified at first with the realization that she was going to die, but then a purple haze of color started radiating off of everything the light touched. She could hear him gulping, his arms wrapped so tightly around her she would have believed him to be a snake. The corners of her eyes pulsed with sparks of red and black, feeling woozy her head lolled in whichever way gravity deemed best. 

"You'll be fine." Gaara's voice sounded muffled, far away, even though he was right next to her. He adjusted her body to face him, now currently sitting on his lap. One hand held up her back while the other propped up her head, forcing her to look into his ghostly orbs. "I won't kill you like I did the others. Your blood is too good for that." 

She felt cold, her lips trembled as if she had just gotten out of a freezing pool. His hand gently brushed her hair from her face, trailing down her cheek as his eyes followed in admiration.   
"It's not so hectic in my mind anymore, and I have you to thank for that. Living off a human diet does little to no good for my mental health. I need blood to keep myself healthy, but I must say it is difficult going weeks without killing, in all honesty." The redhead continued to pet her hair, and cradled her as if she were a favorite doll or pet. She couldn't even begin to understand him in that moment, all she knew was that she was barely alive. "You seem confused, but if I were to explain it now you wouldn't remember it anyway." 

Suddenly she was being carried, draped so simply in his arms without any effort on his part. It was as if she weighed absolutely nothing. 

"I'll have to call on Baki, and let him know what happened. It is your fault, you know? You did this to yourself." Gaara stepped out into the hall, and hailed the guard standing just outside. The lights in the hall were pulsing with her heartbeat-- "Summon Lord Baki for me, there's been an accident." 

Her world started to spin, and she finally passed out. 

\--- ... --- ... --- 

When she awoke once more she realized she was no longer in her bedroom, but rather one of the many grand guestrooms. Her dry eyes searched around in confusion, but the only thing she could see was the prince sitting on an elegant chair by the fire reading a book. 

Gaara didn't seem to be off-putting like he usually was, but rather he looked poised and elegant. He took a sip of tea, his perfect posture and movements struck her as odd. Since when did he ever act like a real prince--? 

Flashes filled her mind, and she sat up to adress them. A scream never heard, white hot pain in her neck, the pulsing purple moon, and her dead weight in his strong arms. Sakura felt at her neck, feeling a linen bandage there. 

"I may have overdone it a bit, but I shouldn't need to drink again for at least another week if not more." Gaara spoke without even looking at her, his pale hands thumbing at one of the pages in his book. "That blood of yours is wonderful, I haven't felt this refreshed in ages. You have my gratitude." 

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but her voice wouldn't form. All she could do was breathe. 

"Don't bother with speaking, you won't be able to for at least another day." The redhead clapped his book shut, then set it down on the baroque table. He stood up, adjusting his fine garments before giving a soft chuckle. 

He looked healthy, his clothes fit him just perfectly. A pewter shirt with a black silk vest over top. The vest itself was a fancy pattern on the front, and plain in the back. His black trousers also fit him so well, perfectly hemmed to show his elegant patent shoes. He also wore a crimson silk cravat with a garnet gem in the center. Even stranger his normally jagged hair was now combed like a proper gentleman. He was stunning, elegant, poised; nothing like the madman she knew before. 

"I'm sure you would care for an explanation, and I am more than willing to give it to you on the condition that you keep it between us. Even though my immediate family, and most loyal subjects are already informed I would prefer if you refrained in bringing it up in casual conversation." The redhead walked over without a care, his gate held him perfectly straight as he approached her bedside. "Do we have an accord?" 

Despite him asking her to keep what happened a secret, she was still wanting to know the truth on why it had happened at all. So she nodded in agreement this time, however should this happen again she wasn't so sure if she could keep it under wraps. 

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you." Gaara smiled warmly before sitting down on the edge of the bed, his upper body turned to face her head on. "What I'm about to tell you is impossible, and yet I'm living proof of the opposite." 

He took a deep breath, and then smiled warmly at her. 

"I'm not fully human, you see. Some may call it vampirism, but I clearly do not have to follow all those strict rules and regulations. I have a reflection, I can go out in mild sunlight, I can even eat or drink human fare without much issue other than the fact that it doesn't provide me with much nourishment. Human blood is the only thing that truly satiates my hunger, but it is difficult trying to find a decent meal when murder is frowned upon." The redhead gave a charming laugh, the sound almost startling her over how nice it sounded. "When I go for long periods without drinking blood I start to go a bit... mad. I won't die, but my mind suffers greatly. So much so that I will do foolish things, like self mutilation." 

He pointed to the scar on his forehead, and she blinked in surprise at it. 'He carved that symbol into his own head?! I can't imagine how far gone he must have been to do something like that.' As she pondered the scenario he continued. 

"Certain blood can sustain me longer than others. The girls that came before you hadn't a single drop of royal blood, and so I ended up going through them like crumpled pieces of scrap parchment. They were merely snacks in comparison to you, your blood is like... a four course meal." Gaara reached forward to brush some locks from her face, despite the fact that he had just claimed how good it was to use her as a food source. It surprised her how easily she let him touch her with that thought in mind. "How did I get this way, you ask? Well, it's a long story, so do pay attention." 

She nodded, and he cleared his throat. 

"Long ago the first King, my ancestor, had taken on a great power with a price. The price was that he would hunger for human blood, killing those precious around him to sustain himself, but in return he would be an unstoppable force of strength and wisdom. He had many heirs with several women, half of his spawn taking on his legacy at birth. The vampyric children killed their own mothers from the womb, but then grew up strong. They married, and also had children of their own. This time the mothers lived, but were drained of nearly all their energy, and as time went on the next generation of children would have lesser gifts than the last; the bloodtrait began to thin." 

He sighed for a moment, as if that thought of losing out on more vampire powers was disappointing to him. 

"Most of the ones who carried the traits of my ancestors surprisingly had red hair, and thus the royal family started to attempt breeding them with other red haired relatives; desperately trying to revive what had been lost to time." He stopped his story to grab a cup of water on the night stand, handing it to her as if to urge her to drink it. She took it mutely, and took greedy sips to sooth her sore throat. Sakura hadn't actually realized how thirsty she was until she started drinking. 

"At times it became too much, occasionally certain offspring would have to be slaughtered due to birth defects. They started spacing out the marriage of cousins until a steady pattern of healthy children came about. Eventually the powers had started to revive, but the red haired children were still waning. Aside for my father, Rasa, and my cousin, Sasori, I am the only direct royal descendant with red hair. Clearly I cannot have children with a male cousin either, so I had to think wisely on how I could preserve our withering bloodline. It was a predicament I couldn't solve." 

His eyes locked onto hers then, their serious gaze left her feeling slightly fearful. 

"Then you arrived, and I came up with the most brilliant solution. I researched your family tree, and found a common ancestor, one of the earliest offspring that split off from the rest. Then further down the line another one of the offspring of another royal relative found yours, and mated again. You have royal blood on both your mother, and father's side, and that is impressive. You have our lineage, and you never even realized it. Our familiar relationship is still quite distant though, I assure you." 

The pinkette blinked at him in disbelief, her eyes darting his frame for a moment before focusing back on his eyes. She had put the pieces together, and predicted his next words. 

"How would you like to become a member of this royal family? You would become my bride specifically, but I can assure you that you would want for nothing." His smile was cunning, and yet he seemed far more charming than he had previously. 

Sakura was in shock, of course, and yet the prospect of it was still dangling in front of her. She could provide a warm, comfortable life for her family, and live out her days in luxury. What she would be giving up, however, was the bigger question. 

"I won't demand your answer now, of course. You may take your time in answering, but know that you will most likely be pressured by the court once they find out your lineage. So much so that you may not have a choice, and that outcome would probably end up being quite burdensome for you. Unlike me, they do not care for sentiment, and will see you only as breeding stock unless I make you a proper queen." 

A queen, and not a duchess? But how was that possible? He was the second in line for the throne, Kankuro was born before him. 

"I can see you are still confused. Children born with the blood trait of the vampire automatically are placed first in line for the throne. I precede my brother due to the fact that I was born with the gift, and he was not." The redhead gave her another lovely smile that would leave any normal woman weak in the knees. "So, back to my initial proposition. I suppose it would go as follows: Do you accept a marriage proposal, and become queen? Or, do you become my consort, and be forced to have children that you will never be able to truly raise or even be acquainted with? I understand the latter is quite extreme, but I am most certain that it will come to pass should you decline my most generous offer." 

This was possibly the most life changing question she had ever been asked. She was nowhere near prepared to take up the title of a queen. She barely had any court experience at all, let alone knowledge of ruling a nation. However, if she didn't accept his proposal there was a high chance of her having to go through with making a child with him regardless, and in all honesty she did not want to have any child of hers ripped out of her arms the second it was born. 

It was a hard decision, and yet it was simple too, she just felt as if she had no choice either way. She had to choose the lesser of two evils. 

"... yes...." The pinkette spoke in the barest of whispers before gently nodding her head. 

"I assume you're agreeing to the marriage proposal then?" His pale hand placed itself gently over her folded ones, and she nodded again in answer. "Excellent. As of right now you are Lady Sakura Haruno, and my guest. You'll be recieving your daily lessons as usual, only now you will not be expected to do chores. You will have your own servants to do that." 

Her eyes began to grow unfocused on his hands, her energy feeling more drained by the second. She started to sway, and whether it was because of what she had just accepted, the revelation that he was actually a vampire, or her lack of blood she couldn't say. It was probably all three, if she were to be truthful. At any rate she started to tip over, but luckily he was able to catch her before she could succeed. 

"You'll have to eat red meat for a while, and drink a great deal of fluids to replace what I took from you. I do apologize for that, I was overzealous with my feeding." He brushed her hair out of her eyes once more, and lowered her down carefully until her head rested on the pillow. "I will not lie to you, and say that I didn't enjoy it. I haven't had such refreshing blood, outside of my own family, in a long time; the effect yours has is astounding. However, I shall try to refrain from draining you like this." 

'Ah, so he will do it again. That figures.' Sakura withered at the thought, and apparently it was visible as he started chuckling. 

"Now now, don't be vexed. I will take small doses, and keep you well fed." Gaara stroked her hair gently, his eyes turning sad after a few silent moments. "I wouldn't want to accidentally kill you... or subject my children to a life where you won't be well enough to be with them. I can find other ways of satisfying the thirst." 

Something told her that he was speaking from experience, but she didn't have the strength to ask him what happened. Her eyes were fighting to stay open, and when he saw this he smiled. 

"Sleep, my young bride. Sleep and regain your strength." He placed his hand over her eyes, and in seconds flat she was out cold. 

She dreamed for two more days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rushed proposal, sure, but this prince has a list he needs to check off. Chop chop fast marriage 👏👏 
> 
> But, where is the love? Will there be love? Will he change? Or will they remain bitter with each other? Hmm... 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments 😈
> 
> EDIT: I just want to make it known:
> 
> No, Gaara and Kankuro are no in an incestuous relationship, their words and actions were meant to be taken out of context due to the forced closeness that pertains to literally feeding off of other people (the neck in particular). 
> 
> It was dark in that room so Sakura could not see any blood (And Gaara can be a clean eater when he wants to be), Kankuro is telling Gaara not to make him pass out again (like in some previous feeding sessions) but of course Gaara is a sadist and basically says 'well, now I'm going to cause you told me not to 😈'

**Author's Note:**

> Comment please, I love hearing your personal feedback 🙏 Also if there were errors in this I do apologize I only read through it once or twice 🤣


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